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NASCAR: Richard Petty Motorsports to make Nationwide run with driver Michael Annett

January 26, 2012

Driver Michael Annett and sponsor Pilot Travel Centers will be part of the Richard Petty Motorsports stable this season. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett was not out of a job for long.

Richard Petty Motorsports has formed a Nationwide team with Annett and his longtime sponsorship partner, Pilot Flying J. The team will operate out of the Petty team's Concord, N.C., race shop.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, comes to Richard Petty Motorsports after spending last season at Rusty Wallace Inc. The Wallace team announced in January that it would not be fielding cars in the 2012 Nationwide Series.

“They say that when one door closes, another door opens, and that is most definitely true,” Annett said. “We were left scrambling a bit because of the situation with RWI and were unsure what the future held, but I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out. To have the chance to race for Richard Petty and to be under the RPM umbrella is amazing.

“It has all come together really quickly, but together with Pilot Flying J and Ford, this is the best opportunity I have ever had to race a Nationwide Series car. There's a lot to be done before we get to Daytona in a few weeks, and I can't wait to dive in and get started.”

Annett has posted 13 top-10 finishes in 105 Nationwide starts and drove to a ninth-place finish in the championship points standings last season.

“It's exciting to have the opportunity to partner with a brand as prestigious as Pilot Flying J,” said team co-owner Richard Petty. “We are happy to welcome them to the Richard Petty Motorsports family and to our partner family as well.

“We are looking forward to getting back into the Nationwide Series full-time and seeing what Michael Annett can do in an RPM Ford Mustang. Michael has improved every season he has raced in the Nationwide Series and has the dedication and drive to be a success.”